Ventilating device for sleeping-cars.



Panama 0011.18, 1910.

E. DAVIS.

VENTILATING DEVICE FOR SLEEPING GARS.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.18. 1909.

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EMRY DAVIS,

FFQE,

0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

VENTLATING DEVICE FOR SLEEPING-CARS.

essere.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 18, 191i).

Application filed December 18, 1909. Serial No. 533,893.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EMRY DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn,

Yin the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilating Devices for Sleeping-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a device adapted to permit of the ventilation of the compartments or berths of sleeping cars.

One object of the present invention is to provide a means which will permit an efficient ventilation of the lower berth of sleeping cars without the necessity of opening the windows, thereby exposing the traveler to the dust and cinders. These are especially objectionable and noticeable when the train is passing through a tunnel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above style which will be simple in construction and cheapy to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide Ventilating means which may be applied to the curtains now in use on sleeping cars without in any way affecting their usefulness as curtains.

@ther objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention, Figure l represents a view of a sleeping' oar compartment with the berths in lowered position as shown in dotted lines, and the `Ventilating device applied to the curtains inclosing the compartment; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of a part as it appears from inside the compartment, showing the flap in raised position in dotted lines.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

ln order that the invention may be more 'readily understood, it will be briefly noted that when the upper berth of a sleeping compartment is down there is, at present, no means of Ventilating the lower berth except to open the window, which, as above stated, is very objectionable under certain conditions. It is, of course, undesirable to leave the curtains on the aisle separated, and the present device is, therefore, intended to avoid these and other objections by making suitable openings in the curtains.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l and 2 represent the upper and lower berths, respectively, of an ordinary sleeping car compartment, inclosed by curtains 3 and 4 suspended from a rod 5 to separate the compartment from the aisle. In each curtain and preferably opposite the point at which the sleepers head will rest is provided an opening 6, normally closed by a hinged iiap 7, which is preferably made of material similar to that of the curtain and is hinged thereto by a reinforcing strip 8, or in any well known manner.

A separable fastener of any convenient` style, such as of head and socketconstruction, is applied to the flap 7, and the curtain 4, and comprises a socket part 9 on the iiap 7 adapted to engage a head l() on the curtain 4, so that the flap may be securely closed from the inside while the traveler within the compartment is dressing. A second fastening device having a similar socket ll is provided on the reverse side of the flap adapted to engage one of a plurality of heads or buttons l2 on the curtain 4 above the opening, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, so that the Hap may bc fastened in any desired raised position` to leave the opening free for circulation of air within the compartment after the occupant has retired. Both fasteners are so arranged as to be easily operated from within the compartment. In order that the circula-tion of air within the compartment may be complete and the excess heat radiated from the steam pipes beneath the berth may have a chance of escape instead of coming up between the bed and the side of the car a cord 13 is attached to the lower corner of one of the curtains passing diagonally upwardly through a slit 14 in the curtain, having at the end thereof a suitable ring 15 for actuating the same. Secured to the inner side of the curtain is a second ring 16 provided with a contracted portion 17 adapted to be engaged by a ball 18 frictionally secured on the cord 13 when the corner of the curtain is raised as shown by dotted line, Fig. 1.

The operation and manner of use of this device should be largely obvious from the above, and is substantially as follows: It may be assumed that the berth is ready for the occupant and the flaps are in closed position. When the occupant has retired the iap is raised after loosening the connections 9 and 10 and is buttoned to the curtain by means of the fasteners 1'1 and 12, leaving an opening opposite the travelers head sufcient in size for Ventilating purposes without further exposing the person from without. The cord 13 is then pulled to raise the corner of the curtain t, the ball 18 engaging the contracted portion of the ring 15 to hold the same in raised position whereby the hot air beneath the berth is allowed to escape into the aisle. As the ball 18 may be moved along, the cord 13 may be raised to any degree whereby, if desired, the occupant may insure a circulation of air from the compartment at this point also. The flap at the opposite end of the berth may be raised also whereby a circulation of air will more readily take place.

It will thus be seen that I have invented a simple and convenient device to permit an effective ventilation of sleeping car compartments at a point near the occupants head where fresh air is most desired, without the objection of opening the windows and subjecting the traveler to the dust and dirt of the road. An opening of this kind is also found to be advantageous in passing tickets or other articles in and out from the compartment without the necessity of opening the curtains.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with a curtain, having an opening therein, a hinged flap, and means for securing said flap in a position adapted to either open or close the opening as desired.

2. A device of the class described, comprising' in combination with a lsleeping car curtain having an opening therein, a flap adapted to close said opening, and means for vsecuring said flap in either opened or closed position as desired.

3. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with a sleeping car curtain having an opening therein, a flap on said curtain, a separable fastener on the curtain and on said flap adapted to secure the same in a position to close said opening.

4. A device ofthe class described, comprising in combination, with a sleeping car curtain having an opening therein, a flap on said curtain, a separable fastener on the curtain and on said flap adapted to secure the same in closed position, and means for holding said flap in open position.

5. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, with a sleeping car curtain having an opening therein, a flap on said curtain, a separable fastener on the curtain and on said flap adapted to secure the same in closed position, and means for holding said flap in open position, operable from within the compartment.

6. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, with the curtain of a sleeping car compartment having an opening therein, a closure for said opening comprising a flap on said curtain adapted to close said opening, said closure being adapted to maintain open position whereby said compartment may be ventilated.

7. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, with the curtains of a sleeping car compartment having an openn ing in each thereof, a flap on each of said curtains adapted to close said opening, and means for sectiring said flaps in raised position.

8. A deviceiof the class described, comprising in combination, with the curtains of a sleeping car compartment having an opening in each thereof, a hinged iap on each of said curtains adapted to close said opening, and means for securing said aps in either open or closed position.

9. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, with a sleeping car curtain having an opening therein, a flap adapted to close said opening, and means for adjustably securing said flap in open position.

l0. A device of the class described, compassing through the opening whereby the prising in combination, with a sleeping ear corner of said curtain may be raised, and curtain having an opening therein, and adjustable means for holding said curtain means connected with the corner of said eurin raised position. 5 tain passing through the opening whereby In testimony whereof I afx my signature, 15

the corner of said curtain may be raised. in the presence of two Witnesses.

ll. A device of the Class described, com- EMRY DAVIS. prising in combination, With a sleeping car Witnesses: curtain having an opening therein, means H. M. SEAMANS,

10 connected with the corner of said curtain i LEONARD H. WATSON. 

